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Colleges / FL / Daytona Beach
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Bethune-Cookman University

Private nonprofit Daytona Beach, FL · Urban · Southeast · 100% data reported · Agent Insights · Claim Your School's Profile ➜
29%
Graduation Rate
$38,518
Earnings (10yr)
$12,030
Net Price
88%
Acceptance Rate
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About Bethune-Cookman University

Bethune-Cookman University is profiled below with full outcomes data from federal sources.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private Liberal Arts College
Carnegie Class
Baccalaureate · Arts & Sciences
Enrollment
2,732
Setting
Urban
Designations
HBCU · 71
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Business & Marketing, Psychology, Communications

Why students choose Bethune-Cookman University

Close mentorship
A small, undergraduate-focused community
HBCU community
A historically Black college with a strong leadership pipeline
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C
Top 51% overall
C-
Earnings
$38,518 median
C+
Value
3.2× net price
B-
Affordability
$12,030/yr net
F
Graduation
29% graduate
D+
Selectivity
88% admit rate
B+
Diversity
0.70 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Nearly 80% of students at Bethune-Cookman University receive Pell Grants, highlighting its commitment to accessibility for low-income families. With an acceptance rate of 88%, the university welcomes a diverse range of students eager to pursue higher education.

However, outcomes indicate significant challenges. The graduation rate stands at just 29%, which raises questions about student support and retention. While specific mobility data is unavailable, the 10-year earnings average of $38,518 suggests that graduates may face hurdles in achieving economic advancement.

Financially, students can expect a net price of $12,030 after aid, but the median debt of $31,000 can be burdensome. Those who thrive here typically come from diverse backgrounds and are passionate about programs in humanities, business, psychology, communications, and criminal justice.

Rankings

1

Can I Get In?

How selective Bethune-Cookman University is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Bethune-Cookman University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Bethune-Cookman University, located in Daytona Beach, Florida, keeps admissions accessible, extending offers to roughly 88% of those who apply. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 880. The school reports a graduation rate of roughly 29%.

Acceptance Rate 88%
Retention Rate 62%
SAT Average 880
ACT Midpoint 17
SAT Range 830–990
Full-Time Faculty 76%
Faculty Salary (mo) $7,167
Student–Faculty Ratio 15:1
Diversity Index 0.70
First-Gen Students 42%
Applicants 12,818
Admitted 10,891
2

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Bethune-Cookman University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

When weighing the true cost of attending Bethune-Cookman University, prospective students should look past the published sticker price of $14,794 in tuition. The figure that matters more is the average net price — the actual out-of-pocket cost after federal grants, institutional scholarships, and student loans — which works out to about $12,030 for families who qualify for aid. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,896 after need-based grants. Graduates leave with a median federal student-loan debt of about $31,000.

$14,794
In-State Tuition
$14,794
Out-of-State
$12,030
Avg Net Price
$31,000
Median Debt
78%
Pell Grant Rate
82%
Federal Loan Rate

What Families Actually Pay

$10,896
Family Income $0–$30K
$11,487
Family Income $30K–$48K
$14,346
Family Income $48K–$75K
$18,654
Family Income $110K+
3

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Graduate Outcomes

Is Bethune-Cookman University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Bethune-Cookman University report median earnings of $38,518; prospective students should weigh that figure against the program's cost when calculating return on investment.

$28,282
6 Years After Entry
$33,935
8 Years
$38,518
10 Years
0.8x
Debt-to-Earnings
42%
Earning > $25K

Earnings Trajectory

$28,282 6yr $33,935 8yr $38,518 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

14%
100% (136)
14%
100% (136)
14%
100% (136)
14%
100% (136)

How Bethune-Cookman Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation29%Earnings 10yr$39KNet Price$12KRetention62%Median Debt$31KPell Grant Rate78%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$11K$0-30K$11K$30-48K$14K$48-75K$19K$110K+
4

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Bethune-Cookman University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital — the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility — runs around the national average at Bethune-Cookman University, with an economic connectedness score of 0.95 (about 1.0 is the national norm). Its friending bias is low (-0.06), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds genuinely mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

0.95
Economic Connectedness
Cross-class friendships
-0.06
Friending Bias
Lower = more inclusive
3.1%
Volunteering Rate
0.99
Support Ratio
Community support

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
Total Expenses
Federal Grants
$-2,589,940
Investment Income

Top Programs

The fields Bethune-Cookman University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Each links to its degree guide — with salary, growth, and the schools with the strongest outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Bethune-Cookman University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements +

Bethune-Cookman University, located in Daytona Beach, Florida, keeps admissions accessible, extending offers to roughly 88% of those who apply. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 880. The school reports a graduation rate of roughly 29%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Bethune-Cookman University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid +

When weighing the true cost of attending Bethune-Cookman University, prospective students should look past the published sticker price of $14,794 in tuition. The figure that matters more is the average net price — the actual out-of-pocket cost after federal grants, institutional scholarships, and student loans — which works out to about $12,030 for families who qualify for aid. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,896 after need-based grants. Graduates leave with a median federal student-loan debt of about $31,000.

Is Bethune-Cookman University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI +

Ten years out, alumni of Bethune-Cookman University report median earnings of $38,518; prospective students should weigh that figure against the program's cost when calculating return on investment.

How Connected Is Bethune-Cookman University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks +

Social capital — the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility — runs around the national average at Bethune-Cookman University, with an economic connectedness score of 0.95 (about 1.0 is the national norm). Its friending bias is low (-0.06), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds genuinely mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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